The swiss version of Groundhogs Day

Only a week into living in Switzerland and we've already experienced our first wacky Swiss Holiday. Well, I guess we can't call it a Swiss holiday, as it is only a holiday in the canton of Zurich. Personally, I'm willing to embrace any holiday that allows my husband to take an afternoon off of work and lend a hand with the kids, regardless of how strange it is.

The official name of the holiday is Sechselauten. From what I understand, back in medieval times, the work day started at sun up, and ended at sun down for most of the year. But in the summertime, the workday ended strictly at 6 p.m. and the people of Zurich could enjoy some daylight. So Sechselauten celebrates the beginning of summer hours. In the spirit of becoming one with Swiss culture, I have STRONGLY encouraged Bryan to embrace this wonderful tradition and high tail it home from work early all summer. Apparently his office and his boss don't fully support this holiday.

My mom and I were introduced to Sechselauten on Saturday while enjoying a glass of wine at a cafe by the river. We soon heard the whistle of a marching band and then noticed all kinds of people dressed in old fashioned costumes walking around town. When curiosity finally got the best of us, I asked a friendly looking Swiss family what the deal was. For some reason one of the women found our question hysterical while another women explained that it was part of the holiday and we would see people dressed in period clothing all weekend. She wasn't kidding. Men, Women, children, and even the occasional dog were dressed in costume throughout the weekend.

On Monday afternoon, all the stores in Zurich closed and everyone had the afternoon off school and work. The parade started at 3 and went on FOREVER. It's the first parade I've ever been to where people held ticketed seats. There were 2 rows of benches along on each side of the street along the entire parade route. The benches were numbered and apparently people had purchased tickets for a prime view of the festivities. Many of the ticketed spectators had huge baskets of flowers that they handed out to parade marchers. Either they knew the people they handed them to, or it was the craziest speed dating event ever, because they would run out into the parade with a flower, hand it to a marcher, and then fake kiss them 3 times on the cheek before running back to their seat. There were beautiful horses and floats and best of all, wine pourers who handed out glasses of wine to the people sitting on the benches. Needless to say, we were not ticketed spectators and only lasted about 30 minutes of the 3 hr parade. I'm hoping the ticket holders in our section didn't pay top dollar for their seats, because listening to the 3 crazy American kids behind them, whining and crying about not being able to see the parade, probably got old pretty quickly.

The BEST part of Sechselauten, and without a doubt the most bizarre part, is the burning of the BÖÖGG. Up until yesterday, grandma thought it was the burning of the boob, which would admittedly be much more bizarre. The BÖÖGG is a big old fake snowman that they stick on a pole about 30 or 40 feet in the air in the middle of the city. Then they build the mother of all bonfires underneath it. This takes a good part of the day because the swiss are very concise about everything they do, and there was definate order to how these stacks of twigs were arranged. The real fun starts at 6 p.m. when they set fire to the wood and the clock starts ticking. This is televised if you don't want to join the masses and by six o'clock, I assure you we weren't about to drag the kids to join the masses. So everyone stands around the BÖÖGG and men on horseback gallop around it with flags, waiting for the snowman to not just burn, but explode. I watched the burning thinking there would be a spectacular fireworks display when the snowman finally burned, because I had been told by my ill informed husband that the snowman was filled with fireworks. Let's just say, it was slightly more exciting than watching the groundhog glance at his shadow. The head of the BÖÖGG is actually filled with explosives and we all waited for the head to explode in one big KABOOM!

The whole reason for burning frosty in the center of town is to time how long it takes for his head to explode. If it explodes quickly, it will be a long and pleasant summer. If it takes it's time exploding, you guessed it, summer will be short and rainy. This year it took 12 minutes and 55 seconds. In comparison to other years, this was pretty quick and all predictions point to a great summer in the Alps.

It suddenly seems real when you drop your kids at school...

I never would have thought that I was the type of person who would ever enroll her kids in a private international school. They conjure up images for me of little blue blazers, ties, and kids running around saying things like, "Pip pip cheerio!" and "Tally ho!" while enjoying tea and crumpets. Yes, everything I know about private international schools I learned from television and childrens books. So when we visited Zurich in November, I was a little nervous about visiting the kids potential schools. I knew throwing them into public school here would be too risky. They would either need therapy by the end of the school year, or they would pick up German really quickly and secure their position of power in our household. Actually, they secured that position about 18 months ago, but speaking the native language here might make them dangerous.

The school they are attending is so far beyond what I had ever dreamed of for my kids at this age, that it was one of the deciding factors in moving to Switzerland. The Early Childhood Center is located in an old Swiss house that sits on the shores of the lake. The building is charming in itself, but the resources available to the kids are amazing. They have an IT room filled with computers, a library to check out books, a smart board for the kids to use in every classroom, and a backyard play area right out of a storybook. So when I learned they would not have to wear a suit and tie to preschool, we happily agreed to send them.

But visiting the school without the kids is very different from taking them to school and driving away. Bryan went with us the first day, probably more to support me than to support the kids. We maneuvered our rental car through a maze of foreign cars and were greeted by two friendly teachers with British accents. From that point on, EVERYONE spoke with a British accent. I don't know what makes a British accent so charming, but I immediately adored all the teachers we met. We took Z to his classroom first, and I don't think he even grunted goodbye before he was elbow deep playing in a table full of dried beans, funnels, paper towel tubes, and shells. Who thinks this stuff up? Genius. He couldn't have cared less that we were leaving, but I felt the need to say, "Mommy will be here to pick you up REALLY soon, okay honey?" about 20 times before Bryan ushered me out of the room. C was surprisingly a little more apprehensive. I've always considered him a social butterfly, but when his eyes glassed over and he clung to my leg, I just about lost it. Fortunately, Miss Emma read C like a book and immediately showed him the computers and the smart board in their classroom. Much like his father, C is an aspiring techie geek and masters anything with a power switch and a couple of buttons. This was just what he needed and from that point on, he was fine.
There was a group of little girls whispering at a table nearby and Miss Emma introduced the girls to C. An adorable little girl named Matilda turned to her friends and said in the cutest little British accent, "Oh, his name is Chaaaaahlie!" I half expect him to come home soon with news that he's met a couple of nice Brits named Eloise and Madeleine.

So the first day of school seems to have been a success. I managed to get out of the building without shedding any tears and the boys seem to have made some new friends. Z refused to share what happened at school in any detail, but was looking forward to returning, so I took that as a good sign. C ran up to a boy in his class and gave him a big hug before leaving. He couldn't pronounce his name and will probably never set foot in whatever far away country this boy is from, but was proud to show me he had met a new friend. His new friend is apparently privy to the international friendship offering that extends beyond all borders. He shared his potato chips at snack time.

Now that the boys are settling in with some friends, I guess it's my turn. I wish it was as easy as it was when we were kids. Maybe I'll try that potato chip thing.....

I'm just on vacation, right?

Well, I realized today that I've been tricking myself into thinking we are on an amazing family vacation. We've eaten Swiss food, paid ridiculous prices at swiss stores, rented a car, and did a little sightseeing. I think Bryan may have even worn our camera around his neck and I know we spoke English to people REALLY LOUD thinking they would understand us better that way. I'm sure many of the swiss people we've encountered were hoping we were just annoying tourists passing through their beautiful town. No such luck for them.





Yesterday was our best day yet. After enjoying a quiet night without any of the kids waking up, we decided to venture out in our rental car (we chickened out on buying a car just yet, it would ruin that whole "vacation" feel I have been enjoying) and head to Lucerne. When we got into town, the kids spotted their favorite Swiss landmark, the Golden Arches, and my mom and I took them for fries and orange juice. Bryan headed to the tourism office and returned with tickets to Mt. Pilatus. I was concerned there might have been a language breakdown and he had unwittingly signed us up for a family pilates class, but he assured me we were heading to the Alps. We hopped a bus to a town called Kriens and walked five minutes up a hill to a cable car station. Grandma had to decide whether she was more terrified of heights, or being left alone in Switzerland by herself. Her fear of being left in a foreign country after we all perished in a freak cable car accident won out and she agreed to join us. We did scare her a bit by telling her she could share a cable car with the kids and Bryan and I would enjoy some alone time in the cable car behind her. I think she had flashbacks to the airplane ride and we let her off the hook before her blood pressure got too high.





The cable car rose 7000 feet up to the top of the mountain and there aren't words to describe how beautiful it was. I've always thought the words "breathe taking" were obnoxious and overly dramatic, but that is truly what it was. I couldn't believe what I was seeing was real. We traveled through a tunnel cut through the rock that had openings to enjoy the view. The only thing that would have made it better was if they rented leashes for the kids so we didn't have to yell, "Step back from that railing!" every 30 seconds. The fear of one of the kids sliding off the edge of the mountain was probably a little over the top, but I knew as the mom I'd be expected to scale the mountain in a lame attempt to save them, and I wasn't open to even the most remote possibility of that.





On the way back down the mountain, we stopped at a cable car station 1/3 the way down and were able to enjoy a number of stereotypical swiss customs. There was a cute swiss chalet with outdoor seating and Bryan and I enjoyed a pint of swiss bier. (See, my Swiss-German is already coming along!) Then we listened to a bunch of old guys playing accordians and Alphorns. (aka the Ricola cough drop horns). The highlight for me was when 2 drunk old german guys broke their bench with beers in hand and landed on their arses (I've picked up some Irish too). Good Times!!!





We spent some time at a playground 2/3 the way down the mountain before heading back to the train station to get our car. We threw the kids some lollipops in the backseat and we all rode home exhausted but happy. The kids were troopers and E managed to hold her own with all the walking since we couldn't fit the stroller in the car. It was an amazing day and our best since arriving in Switzerland. As I went to sleep that night, it occurred to me that the "vacation" was over and the start of school for the boys meant a return to reality...

What planet are we on?

We arrived safely in Switzerland with our sanity hanging on by a thread. Seriously, the most horrific plane ride of my life. I won't go into detail, but the 8 hour flight involved a kids meal of spaghetti and meatballs, a serious bathroom incident involving #2, and a 2 year old insomniac who gave the entire business class a tantrum wake up call well before the sun came up. I now know the true meaning of a dirty look but refrained from responding to each one with a hand gesture. A sign of true restraint on my part! The flight was followed by a lost suitcase with all the kids clothing in it, and the front wheel of our brand new jogging stroller flying off in the middle of a Zurich intersection. Good times. At that point I just started laughing hysterically because I was sure we were creating National Lampoons European Vacation part 2. Thank God for a sense of humor!

Since then, things have been looking up. Our temporary apartment, although not at all child friendly, is much bigger than expected and has an amazing view. We look out onto Lake Zurich and can see the Alps in the distance. It was 70 degrees our first day here and it was weird to see people getting of the train in their ski boots with their skis on their shoulders. This is truly, the most beautiful country I have ever seen. It's amazing.

The kids are still struggling with jetlag and I found them playing out in the living room at 3 a.m. the first night we were here. They went back to bed and then slept until 11. Tomorrow I will rouse them (and myself) at a normal waking hour and try to get them adjusted before school starts on Monday. They are very excited to meet new friends and I am hoping to make it through the first day without tears! There is something very uncomfortable about the thought of leaving my young children in someone elses care in a country where everything is so foreign to me. But I'm sure a few days of only having to drag one kid on public transportation will be enough to get me over my issues!

We are trying to get used to apartment living. Our apartment is on the 4th floor and has window seats and big windows without any screens. The fear of one of the kids falling out the window has caused me to freak our every time one of them comes within 3 feet of one. I also shush them whenever they speak above a whisper in fear that they will disrupt the neighbors. Have you ever read the Diary of Anne Franke? Yeah, there are a couple of similarities...

There are so many things about life in Switzerland that are drastically different than home, that I don't even know where to begin. The grocery store is just a strange experience. The milk and juice is all sold in cardboard boxes at room temperature and buying produce requires a scale and a computer. The meat department, although ridiculously expensive, seemed pretty normal until I saw the packages of horse meat. I'm not sure horseburgers will make it into our regular dinner rotation.

The swiss take recycling to a whole new level. In the U.S, I considered my self pretty eco-friendly and recycled almost everything. Here, the recycling police (I'm told they go through your garbage and fine you if you are in violation) require you to separate all your recyclables and drag them with you around town until you come across a recycling area where you stick them in the appropriate bins. There's nothing like toting a bag of empty wine bottles around town in the bottom of your jogging stroller! I was a little embarrassed to hear the bottles clinking together when I dragged my stroller up the stairs onto the tram. Although considering I had my 3 kids in tow, most reasonable people would understand.

So, we are adjusting to the changes and learning to live permanently outside of our comfort zone. I know without a doubt that everything will get easier with time, but right now it really does feel like I've been dropped on another planet. Talking to our friends and family on Skype has been one of the highlights of our day and although it reminds us of how much we miss everyone, it gives us an opportunity to share our ridiculous adventures, as well as a laugh.

Tomorrow we attempt to go buy a used car. Stay tuned as I'm sure the Griswalds will do something to make it memorable...

Moving Day

Moving day has finally arrived! Somehow, I managed to get the house ready with the 3 kids here and Bryan out of town. I think I've uttered the sentence, "I could NEVER be a single mother!" about 90 times in the past 2 weeks. The word "exhausting" doesn't do it justice. And I had help from grandpa and grandma, my sister, and my friends. If I'd had to get the house ready for the movers without their help, I'd be curled up in a corner of my empty closet begging for mercy.

Since we aren't taking everything with us to Switzerland, we had to come up with a system to let the movers know what needed to be packed and what should stay. Thank God for post it notes! There were blue post it notes to denote things that were to be shipped over by air, and yellow post it notes to denote things that needed to be shipped by sea. Every single drawer, cabinet, and shelf has been reorganized to fit my obsessive compulsive post it note system. The poor kids lived in fear of accidently knocking a post it note free. I felt a little bit like Mommy Dearest when Z knocked the yellow post it note off his bed while crawling under the covers one night. In a panic he said, "I'm sooo sorry mommy! I'm really so sorry!". Poor things are going to need therapy by the time we get there.

While I sit writing this, the moving guys are loading all of our boxes onto a giant green freight container in front of the house. It's strange to think of the journey our belongings will take on a boat over the next six weeks. All of the uncertainty of our adventure is intensified by watching all the "things" that we surround ourselves with being driven away. Hopefully when our sea shipment arrives in June, it will bring a sense of comfort to have some of the familiar things from home. Despite the stress of all this chaos, knowing the 5 of us will be together has been the one thing that has truly comforted me. It sounds a little sappy and strange, but this experience of getting ready to move overseas has forced me to stop taking for granted the fact that we have each other to rely on. None of us know just what to expect, but one thing we share is knowing how it feels to take this plunge. Not knowing anyone else who has done this with young kids, it's created a kind of "team" feeling that we are in this together. So, as the current captain of team Mj, the strategy for our next big challenge is making sure I have plenty of wine and the kids have plenty of Benadryl and dumdum suckers for the 8 hour plane ride. And if that doesn't keep them quiet, I can always head back to coach and pretend I don't know them.



As soon as we get through customs in Switzerland, I'll be handing 3 jet lagged kids over to Captain Daddy and finding a quiet piece of Switzerland to catch my breath!